brother George."-- What óf hím, chìld," interrupted I, „does hè know our mífery? I hope my boy is exempt from ány párt of what his wretched family fúffers?",,Yes, Sir," returned hè,,,hè ís perfectly gày, chèarful, ánd happy. His letter brings nothing bu good news; hè is the favourite of his colonel, who prómifes to procùre hím the very ner lieutenancy that becomes vacant!“

,,And áre you fùre of all this," cried my wife; ,,áre you fùre that nothing ill hás be fallen my boy?“ ,,Nothing indeed Mádam, returned my fón, you fháll fee the letter, which will give you the highest pleasure; ánd if ány thing can procure you comfort, I am le fùre that will." „Bút are you fùre," ftill re peated fhè, that the létter is from himfe and that he is really fò happy?" -,,Yes, M dam," replied he,,,it is certainly his, and he will one day be the crédit and the fupport óf our family!" ,,Then I thank providen ce, cried fhè, thát mỳ láft letter to him ba hás mifcárried." Yes, my dear," contínued fhe, turning to me, I will now confefs, that tho' the hand of heaven ís fòre upón ús in other inftances, ít has been fàvourable here. By the last letter I wrote my fón, which was in the bitterness óf ánger, I defired him, upón his mother's bléffing, and if he hád the heart óf à mán, to fee juftice dóne hís fáther ánd fifter, and avenge óur cáufe- Bút thánks be to him that directs all things, ít hás milcárried, and I ám át réft.",Woman," cried I, thon háft dóne véry ill, ánd át another time my reproaches might have been more fe vère. Oh! what à tremendous gúlph hált thóu escaped, that would have buried both

thée

hée ánd hím ín endless ruin. Providence, ndeed, hás hère been kinder tỏ ús thán wè ourfélves. 'It hás référved thát fón tỏ bè he father and protéctor of my children when fhall be away. Hów unjustly did I comlain of being fiript of every comfort, when ill I hear that he is happy and infénfible of ar afflictions; ftill képt in reférve to support is widowed mother, and to protect his bróers and fifters. But what fifters hás he left, è hás nò fifters nów, they áre áll góne, róbed from me, and I ám undóne." -,,Father," terrupted my fón,,,I beg you will give mè ave to read his létter, I know it will please ." Upón which, with my permiffion, hè lad ás fóllows: "

22

I have called off my imagination à few mòents from the pleasures that furround mè, tỏ xít upón óbjects that are still mòre pleasing, e dear little fire fìde át home. My fáncy raws thát bármless groupe ás líftening to ery line of this with great compofure. I view ole faces with delight which never felt thẻ forining hand of ambition ór diftréfs! Bút hatever your happiness may be át home, I n fùre it will be fóme addition to it, to hear át I ám pérfectly pleafed with my fituation, ad every way happy hère.

'Our régiment is countermánded, and ís t to leave the kingdom; the colonel, who rofeffes himself my friend, takes me with in tó áll cómpanies where he is acquainted, d after my firft vifit, I generally find myIf received with encreased respect upón re

P

1

peating it. I dánced láft night with làdy Gand could I forget you know whom, I migh bé perhaps fuccefsful. Bút ít ís my fàte ftill to remember others, while I am myfélf forgotte by mòft of my abfent friends, and in this númber, I fear, Sír, thát 'I mùft confíder you fór 'I have long expected the pleasure of à le ter from home to nò púrpose. Olivia and So phìa tỏo, prómifed to write, bút feèm tỏ há forgotten mè. Tell them they are two árrant little baggages, ánd thát 'I ám this momentin à mòft violent páffion with them: yét Still, 1 know nót hów, though I want to blúster à little, my heart ís refpóndent only to fofter emotions. Then tell them, Sír, thát áfter 'I love thém affectionately, ánd bè affùred f my éver remaining

Your dutiful fon

In all our míferies," cried I, what thánks háve wè nót tỏ return, thát óne át lat of our family ís exémpted from what wè suffer Heaven bè hís guárd, and keep my boy this happy to be thé fuppòrter of his widowed móther, and the father of thèse two babes which is all the pátrimony I cán nów beque hím. Mày hè keèp their innocence from the temptations of want, and be their conducto in thé páths of honour." I hád fcárce fai thèse words, when à noìfe, like that of tùmult, feèmed to proceed from the pri below; it died away foon after, and à clánk ing of fetters was heard along the passage that léd to my apartment. The keeper of the prífon entered, holding à mán áll bloody wounded and fettered with the heaviest irons 'I looked with compállion on the wretch ás he

approached mè, bút with hórror when I found t was my own fón ,, My George! My George! and do I behold thee thús. Wounded! éttered! 'Is this thỳ háppinefs! ís this the máner you return to me! O thát thís fight could reak my heárt át ónce and let me dìe!"

Whére, Sír, ís your fórtitude?" returned ỳ án fón with an intrépid voice.,,I múst lúffer, y life is forfeited, and let them take it."

I tried to reftrain my páffions fór à few inutes ín filence, bút I thought I should áve died with the effort.,,'O mỳ boy, mỳ my eárt weeps to behold thee thús, and 'I cánot, cánnot help it. 'In the moment that 'I ought thee bleft, and prayed for thỳ fàfety, behold thee thus again! Chained, woundd. 'And yet the death of the youthful ís háp. y. Bút 'I ám òld, à véry òld mán, ánd háve ved to fee this dày. To fee my children áll ntimely falling about mè, while 'I contínue à rétched furvivor in the midft óf ruin! Mày the curfes thát éver fúnk à fòul fáll heavy pon the murderer of my children. Mày hè ive, like mè, to fee

66

„Hòld, Sír," replied mỳ fón, „ór 'I fháll lúfh for thee. Hów, Sír, forgetful of your ge, your holy calling, thus to arrogate the alice of heaven, and fíng thòle cúrles úpvard that múft foon defcend to crúfh thy wn grey head with deftruction! Nò, Sír, lét t be your care nów tỏ fít mè fór thát vile leath I múst fhórtly fúffer, tó árm me with ope and refolution, to give me courage to Brink of thát bitterness which múlt fhórtly be my portion."

,, My child, youù múlt nót dìe: 'I ám fùre mo offence of thine cán deferve fò vile a pu

nifhment. My George could never be guilty of any crime to make his ancestors afhamed of him."

,, Mine, Sír," returned my fón, ,,ís, I fear, án unpárdonable ne. When I received my mother's letter from home, I immediately came down, determined to punish the betrayer ó our honour, and fént hími án órder to meet mè, which he answered, nót ín perfon, but by his difpátching four 6f his domeftics to feize me. I wounded one who first affaulted mè, and I fear désperately; but the rest mada me their prifoner. The coward is determined to put the law in execution against me; the proofs are undeniable; I have fent a challeng and ás I am the first tranfgreffor upon the statute x), 'I feè no hopes of párdon But you háve often charmed me with your leffons of fórtitude, lét mè nów, Sír, find them in your example."

'I am

,,'And my fón, you fháll find them. nów raised above this world, and all the pléafures ít cán produce. From this moment I break from my heart all the ties that held it dówn to earth, and will prepare to fit us both fór etérnity. Yes mỳ fón, I will point out the way, and my foul fháll guide yours in the afcent, fór we will t ke our flight together. 'I nów fee and am convinced yoù cán expect nò párdon here, and I can only exhórt you tỏ feek ít át thát greateft tribunal where we both fháll fhórtly answer. Bút lét ús not!

x) the first transgreffor upon the ftatute; Goldfmith nimmt an, dafs um die Zeit die Parliamentsakte de fchienen welche die Herausforderung für ein Kapital

verbrechen erklärte.